Challenging a misconception that insurers don't pay out

Aviva’s first UK claims report shows 96% of all claims were accepted in 2017.

Key Aviva UK claims facts

Aviva paid out more than £3.6 billion in UK claims in 2017– the equivalent of more than £10 million every day, or £7, 000 every minute

96% of claims were accepted across Aviva’s individual and commercial insurance lines

Around 120,000 vehicles are typically repaired each year for customers – almost enough to fill every lane of the M25 motorway

The UK’s largest insurer is committed to continuing to simplify products and clarify insurance for customers.

Aviva is urging UK insurers to help debunk the myth that insurance does not pay and to do more to explain how insurance claims work.

Consumers believe insurers try to avoid paying claims

Common misconceptions that insurance does not pay should be challenged says Aviva, which has published its first UK-wide claims report covering aspects of its individual and commercial insurance business.

The consumer research commissioned by Aviva shows that 55% of consumers believe insurers will always try to avoid paying claims if they can with the average payment considered to be just 52% of all claims.1

The report shows that in 2017 Aviva accepted 96% of insurance claims made by individual and business customers in the UK, paying out more than £3.6 billion in cash settlements and services – equivalent to more than £10 million every single day, or £7, 000 every minute.2

The reality is that every year about 120, 000 vehicles are repaired through Aviva car insurance – almost enough to fill every lane on the M25 motorway – and enough carpet is replaced through home insurance claims to cover 11 football pitches.

Nearly one million Aviva customer claims (961, 973 or 96% of claims made) were accepted last year across
motor
, home, travel, protection, health and commercial business insurance.

Aviva’s report also explains the common reasons why 4% of all the claims it received could not be
paid,
and includes helpful case studies from customers as well as frontline employees, illustrating how its claims approach is about more than just providing financial support.

The impact that the insurer’s investment in digital tools is having on making the claims process simpler and faster is also evidenced.

25%

Aviva UK claims reported digitally by end of 2017

The UK’s largest insurer says there is more that the market as a whole can do to simplify and improve customers’ experience of making an insurance claim, particularly when they often do so at the most challenging times in their lives.

At the same time, consumers must take more responsibility for their insurance, such as:

being clear on their policy terms before they purchase, and

working closely with their insurer to provide full information about their circumstances, as needed.

Andy Briggs, Chief Executive Officer, Aviva UK Insurance, said:

“Misconceptions that insurance does not pay out when it is needed or that it is unnecessary are leaving UK families and businesses potentially exposed through a lack of suitable insurance. If people have a sense that insurance is not going to pay out, they won’t bother buying it.

We are calling on the industry to join us in comprehensively publishing information about how insurers manage customer claims, why some claims are declined and how consumers can do more themselves to understand whether the cover they have is what they need.

“Across the
industry
we know that insurance is a reliable and critical way of providing financial protection when things go wrong, whether it involves a family member, a personal possession or a business. In the vast majority of cases, insurance claims are accepted and there are additional and very important support services that help customers get back on their feet.

“When it comes to making a claim we want Aviva customers to feel really clear about what they are covered for, so we are actively looking at ways that we can help them understand their cover in a simple and unequivocal way. This is something that we believe the whole industry needs to commit to on behalf of customers.”

UK claims paid by Aviva in 2017

Aviva claims paid in 2017

Number of claims settled

Claims settled (%)

Claims value

Motor insurance (not including
third
party)3 Home insurance Travel insurance

347,035

87,609 99,532

99.3%

95.2% 89.3%

£1,226,450,979

Commercial motor Commercial property

152,734 38,058

98.0% 93.6%

£811,047,107

Life insurance

16,314

98.9%

£525,513,560

Critical illness

4,413

93.2%

£337,002,576

Income protection4

3,918

88.8%

£36,393,609

Fracture cover

789

94.7%

£1,686,778

Private medical insurance

206,037

94.1%

£404,838,491

Group protection5

5,534

92.5%

£327,748,642

Total

961,973

96.1%

£3,670,681,742

Source: Aviva UK claims report 2017

Common reasons for a claim being declined

Just 4% of UK claims across individual and commercial business insurance were declined last year by Aviva. Common reasons include:

Lack of additional cover to the standard policy – eg if a customer didn’t choose additional cover as part of a home insurance policy for events such as accidental damage or cover for damage to belongings outside of the home

Making a claim for something that falls outside of the policy terms – eg the effects of gradual wear and tear or damp and dry rot are not covered by a standard home insurance policy

The policy definition for a claim is not met – eg some critical illness claims were declined because the condition the customer was claiming for was not covered by their policy

A pre-existing health condition/lifestyle choice was not declared – eg pre-existing health conditions or lifestyle choices that are not declared by the customer during the application process can lead to
group
and individual protection claims being declined

3Settled motor claims include all claims made by or against our customer, including own damage, third party damage, and third party injury claims. These figures do not include third party only claims, where no claim is made by our customer.

4Aviva claims paid rates for income protection have been calculated using the new ABI methodology introduced in May 2017 for new claims accepted.

Notes to editors:

Aviva provides life insurance, general insurance, health insurance and asset management to 33 million customers.

In the UK we are the leading insurer serving one in every four households and have strong businesses in selected markets in Europe, Asia and Canada. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE100 index.

Aviva’s asset management business, Aviva Investors, provides asset management services to both Aviva and external clients, and currently manages over £350 billion in assets. Total group assets under management at the Aviva group are £490 billion.

Aviva helps people save for the future and manage the risks of everyday life; we paid out £34.6 billion in benefits and claims in 2017.

By serving our customers well, we are building a business which is strong and sustainable, which our people are proud to work for, and which makes a positive contribution to society.

The Aviva newsroom at www.aviva.com/newsroom includes links to our image library, research reports and our news release archive.